Mark Cerny: the future of game consoles looks solid

In his D.I.C.E. Summit 2014 talk this morning, PS4 lead system architect Mark Cerny was put on the spot by co-panelists Eugene Jarvis (Raw Thrills) and Mark Turmell (Zynga) on the future of gaming consoles.

Cerny quickly shot back: "We're two months in and you're asking where we'll be in six or eight years?"

He said that there is currently "a very healthy audience for console games," though he admits that coming out of the gate with the PS4 last year, some questioned why we needed a new console.

"Even after our February announcement it was about 50-50," Cerny admitted.

Going forward, though, Cerny feels that the future looks pretty solid for console gaming. He feels that the influx of mobile technologies like phones and tablets are an "interesting influx" which as us playing traditional 200-hour single-player experiences alongside games like Ridiculous Fishing.

Despite the growth of other platforms, the Steam Box, cloud gaming, the explosion of mobile games, and even with developments like virtual reality, Cerny still feels good about console gaming's future.

"If you look at the console business itself and the hundreds of millions of fans themselves, it looks solid."